Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-22
GAS OR ~ECTRICITY

The City Council at it's session last even.
ing made a contract with the Butte Gas
Company to light the city with gas for
five years. The contract has not been
signed yet 80 that it cannot be said to be
closed. It would be well to consider the
matter again bef're doing so. The gas
furnished by the Butte Gas Company is
VIGOROUSLY bad. The contract they agree
to make with the city calls for sixteen
candle power, but it is a question whether
the company can furnish a gas of that
grade. At the best it is not a clear, brill
liant light such as is furnished in the
East. O.
II there were no other objections to gas
than this, it would not be insuperable.
If we bad al equable temperature with the
thermometer seldom ranging below zero;
had+we no smoke or fog to contend against;
were gas infinitely the cheaper OF the two,
the case would be different.
But what are the facts?
The thermometer has registered as low
as forty below zero on occasions. Last
winter it went as low as this and everyone
remembers the trouble, annoyance and ex-
pense the stores and private .iconsum-
ers suffered during severe spells by
the gas freezing in the pipes, when hastily
improvised coal-oil lamps had to be sub.
stituted with all it's attendant discomfort.
How would the whole city look in utter
darkness, the gae in the street lamps being
frozen so that they could not be lit? We
cannot afford to run this risk. This Oh
lection alone is insuperable. 1t cannot be
warded off, 1t has occurred before and
is bound to recur. This is one reason why
gas will not suit this climate. Recollect
hat gas will burn in q warm house or
store when it will freeze in an exposed
street lamp.
But that is not all. In winter we are
especially subject to fog and the snake
from the smelters rolls up in a solid cloud
and envelopes the entire city, especially at
night. How will a feeble sixteen-candle
power lamp contend against the blanket
OF darkness hat settles down like q pail?
Were street gas lamps placed only twenty.
five feet apart they would be useless. AND
this is no uncommon occurrence. It's
frequency is such that it puts gas out OF
the question.
But gas is not cheaper than electricity.
The electric company places a 2.OOO-can.
die power light in each OF it's globes. To
procure the effect of one of their lights
would require o hundred and twenty-five
gas lamps of sixteen-can3le power each.
That number of lamps at SO. SO n month,
each lamp would cost $312.5O. One
2,O0O-candle power electric light per
month costs SIS. Twenty of the latter
distributed properly about the city would
give twenty times the illumination of a
hundred and twenty-five gas lamps at q
cost OF $3.50, only $47.5O more than the
gas. Gas, therefore, is iufnirely dearer.
The thickest smoke and fog cannot rom
pletely obscure the intense briliiancy Of the
electric light. It's radiance is shed through
the thickest fog. though with diminished
b~rilliancy.
The coolest weather does not affect cleo
tricity. 1t shines with added brilliancy on
the coolest night. because the airs SO clear. |
The additional seven L. mp needed t. CON-
plete the twenty would satisfy all sections
81 the city in the matter of light. The spaces
between the lamps would be fifty per cent.
brighter than it would be between gas
street lamps if placed only a hundred feet
apart.
In a very few months the question of
incorporation will be brought up. The
new limits-if the measure passes, and it is |
almost certain to this time-will need |
IIOhfino r. ronnn< ha Iono ~. l>z.-l- /
and effectively as by electricity.
The citizens are used to electric lights. |
We are now in line with all the progressive
cities Of the country in this regard. The
electric light is replacing gas in all the
cities that are not under the thumb of the
anaconda OF monopolies-tbe Standard Oil
Company. Shall we then retrograde? Shall
we return to the dim yellowness OF gas
after having enjoyed the clear brilliancy of
the electric light? It is not to be thought
OF for a moment. We have enjoyed the
benefit OF electric light, and we will con.
t'nue to enjoy it, for it's beauty and because
it is indicative OF progress. The citizens
would rather pay more for it than gas,
we're they even in other respects.
The effect on the traveller reaching the
own at night is ~pronouncedly in favor OF
the electric light. Hung, apparently, like
over the city, they give an appear.
ance OF life and indicate the presence oil a
busy population, which no amount oil gas
amps can equal.
The City Council should take these things
INTO their serious consideration again. ere
hat contract is signed, and the citizens
'hould express their opposition to the obso-
'ete gas proposition while yet it is not too
late.
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